Prime Minister Paid Tribute to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar

Utkarsh Classes Last Updated 03-01-2024

Prime Minister Paid Tribute to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar

Place in News 3 min read

The birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar was commemorated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who highlighted their compassion, courage and invaluable contributions to our nation.

About Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule from Maharashtra was a social activist who provided education for girls and deprived portions of society.

She was the first female teacher in India (1848) and opened a girls' school with her husband, Jyotiba Phule.
She established a shelter (1864) for destitute women and played a crucial role in helping in Jyotiba Phule’s pioneering institution, Satyashodhak Samaj (1873).
Savitribai is celebrated as a champion of women's rights in India and is widely recognized as the mother of Indian feminism.
During the bubonic plague outbreak in Maharashtra in 1897, Savitribai helped by setting up a clinic for plague victims in Hadapsar, Pune. She was not content to be a mere observer and rushed to the affected areas to provide aid.

About Satyashodhak Samaj

The Satyashodhak Samaj was founded by Jyotiba Phule, a prominent social reformer, in the Pune district of Maharashtra in 1873.

The primary objective of the organization was to improve the conditions of the depressed classes in Maharashtra and prevent their exploitation by the oppressive nexus of moneylenders and the colonial administration.
The movement spread significantly in Satara, where the Samaj opened branches in many villages. The peasant struggles against feudalism and landlordism was essential to the national movement against British imperialism, as the colonial administration held ultimate responsibility for upholding the oppressive and exploitative economic and social regime.

About Rani Velu Nachiyar

Rani Velu Nachiyar, also known by Tamils as Veeramangai, was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India.

She was born in the royal family of Ramanathapuram, the only child of Raja Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandhimuthal of the Ramnad kingdom.
Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first queen to fight against the British for India's freedom. In 1780, she granted powers to the Marudu brothers to administer the country. Velu Nachiyar passed away a few years later, on 25 December 1796.